A little about me

[leigh-ann]

First off, I want to thank everyone for welcoming me warmly. All of your kind words and thoughts are very much appreciated, and I'm sure will be needed in the weeks and months to come!

Here's a little more about me. I'm 28, married, unemployed at the moment, and yes, my husband and I have five cats. We live with his parents, and they have three cats and a dog. So the cats own this house, whether we like it or not!

I have set my quit date for May 21st. I have already bought a 2-week supply of the Patch (I'd be interested to hear opinions and testimonials on the Patch!), and am mentally trying to psych myself up for living smoke-free. I sing, and I used to be a runner. Smoking has kept me from running because I can't breathe as well as I used to, and smoking harms my singing for the same reason. You could say those are my top two reasons for quitting. I also want to be around for as long as I can for my family. My grandmother has emphysema from smoking and has to use oxygen 24 hours a day now. Her sister, who smoked for over 50 years, died of pancreatic cancer. So I have two very real examples of how smoking can harm my health that hit close to home. But even knowing all of this, I'm still anxious and worried about my Q-day. Changing something that has become so ingrained into my life is going to be extremely difficult. I've been trying to change the way I think about smoking to negative thoughts.

I welcome any feedback and thoughts you all may have. And I look forward to getting to know all of you!

Take care,

Leigh Ann

[mia]

What does Pancreatic Cancer has to with Smoking?

[leigh-ann]

A bunch of studies have linked pancreatic cancer to smoking.

[manofsteele]

Hey Leigh Ann,

Its funny to me what smokers worry most about . I think I would worry most about not stopping soon enough to prevent emphysema from smoking and having to use oxygen 24 hours a day ! .........................bam

YOU CAN QUIT ..... Make up your mind ........learn from others and DO IT ,,,, Kozmik Burd and I agree one of the best days of our entire life's was our Quit Dates !

Just wanted to say hello and let you know I have help put a group of smoke free friends from another smoke free online support group here that want to help you succeed. Below are some of our groups and a video to make sure you do quit ASAP if not sooner.



http://community.becomeanex.org/group/dailypledge

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Daily Pledge - Quit Party Central - Relapse Traps
Game Room Quit Reasons - Thanks and Praise
Tough Luv - Words of Wisdom - Find a Quit Buddy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Reading - http://www.tobacco-facts.info/
For a Free Quit Keeper - http://dedicateddesigns.com/qk/

YOU CAN DO IT ... we can help .....just ask !
5.4 Million die due to smoking related causes every year.
That's 2000 times a 9/11

Ray
I have been quit for 4 Years, 1 Month, 1 Week, 5 Days, 23 hours, 38 minutes and 12 seconds (1,503 days). I have saved $12,031.87 by not smoking 60,159 cigarettes. I have saved 6 Months, 3 Weeks, 4 Days, 21 hours and 15 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 4/4/2004 12:00 AM

[cindy25]

Work this program right now. Track your cigarettes. Tackle your biggest smoking triggers one at a time. Start small, learn how to have coffee, do mornings, drive, handle stress, etc. without smoking. Set a quit date and use everything you have learned.This web site gives you guidance. You can do it!

[Giulia]

Hi Leigh Ann! And Welcome A'board the Freedom Train! There are more cars being added on here daily!

I can tell you this from my own experience of smoking a pack and a half for over 35 years - your voice will improve almost immediately. The morning phlegm will be gone, and you won't be clearing your throat half the day. All that junk on your vocal chords will be gone and your singing range will increase dramatically. (I'm an actress so I know what I'm talking about.)

As far as running - I can't address that. But you can be assured that your body will want to heal itself as quickly as it can.

I took a month before I quit to read and get my head in the right place. Like running a marathon, one must go into training mode. It seems you know that. Yeah, it's scary. But I'll tell you this - it's a lot scarier before you do it, than after you do. The thoughts preceding the quit are terrifying. Know that the actual event itself ain't nearly as bad as we perceive it to be. It's not the most pleasant experience I've ever been through, but now that I'm on the other side of it - it was definitely worth it.

You want to sing? Then that's the priority. I say don't think in terms of forever. It's too big. Think in smaller chunks of time and you'll be able to handle it. Even if you go two days, you'll see the difference in your vocal chords. Really.

Here's to ya!

Go for it!

Giulia (2 years +)

[kerryanne]

Hi, Leigh Ann and welcome.

I know how ingrained this thing is in your life. You watch people suffer the ill-effects of smoking and you think to yourself, that won't happen to me. But it can. And it will eventually. And you already know that or else you wouldn't be here. So you've already taken the first step towards the rest of your long long life.

I will tell you what I tell everyone about the patch, gum, etc. It will not do the work for you. It just takes away the edge. It's still giving you some nicotine and the idea is to wean off of it. (I have a friend who is still chewing the gum two years later and it's become a problem for her now) So please use the patch and follow the directions. Realize that you must also do the work. Nothing in this world is easy if it's worth something. Okay, well, if you scratched of an instant lottery ticket and won, that would be easy, but you get my drift. You're going to have to do some work and I think you already know that or else you wouldn't have joined this group.

Once the physical stuff is over, you'll still have to know how to deal with the triggers that made you light up every day. You'll still have to learn what not to do and what to do and that's why this group is so important. Ask for help when you need it and we will be here.

As for the singing, it is amazing how well your voice will improve. Your voice and breathing control will absolutely make you a better singer. (You should hear me in the shower or the car now!) LOL!

Good luck. It's been 2 Years, 3 Months, 3 Weeks, 6 Days, 8 hours and 59 minutes (847 days) since my last cigarette. I have not smoked 21,184 nasty death sticks, thereby saving $5,825.69 and extending my life expectancy by 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 13 hours and 20 minutes.